A Rudinn Awakening
by IllusionWriter
Summary: Some things are meant to be left in the dark...


He didn't tell anyone where he was going.

The vibratory buzzing the elevator made on the way down in it's decent only made the young guard more apprehensive, but his resolve beckoned to be held stronger. The Rudinn wanted answers.

"A mad Darkener is all he is. And as a mad Darkner, nothing but lunacy comes from it. Find no logic in his addressings. There is no better way to waste one's time."

The Spade King's words just weren't enough. So here he resided, slouching against the hand rails as he got to his final destination.

_*FLOOR ?* _

The Rudinn's reflective eyes narrowed as he tried deciphering out the scratched out wording, but to no avail. He narrowed his eyes and clenched the hilt of his dagger, all before noticing his hand shaking. Was it out of rage due to secrets kept from the kingdom? Fear of the unknown? The Rudinn truly didn't know. Perhaps both. As the elevator came to a stop, Rudinn straightened his stance. In this unexpected vivid moment of clarity and thought, he remembered the words that his comrades had about him.

"Heh, why are you always so uptight, dude? Just chill. Not like anyone's coming to fight us."

"I'm NOT uptight, I'm just realistic. We might be down here forever... we may never get to see the light of day if we just keep hoping. And in time, someone or something eventually WILL find us."

Sure, he may have been a bit more stern than the average Rudinn, but the words still rang true a while after the conversation, except it wasn't intruders that descended to tear apart the Card Kingdom. It was supposedly the uprisings from the Darkners themselves. In holding cells they were kept and imprisoned under the overseeing, dutiful watch of Rouxls Kaard, but this one in particular... he had seen him on occasion as part of a performance duo for moderately short periods in his time as guardsmen to the Four Kings. Just before things got a bit darker. It was just a few weeks ago; in the throne room just before curfew shift...

...

...

...

Discussions of the most recently-jailed rebels had just quelled down and the trustworthiness of their confessions measured. The King of Diamond's stoically tired face brightened just a bit as he arose in his seat.

"Now, with these dire matters out of the way, I'm sure it doesn't need much saying that a recess of energy is needed. Perhaps the entertainers can ease our minds from these politics."

The Spade King visibly scowled as he brought his lowered head from his knuckles. "No, we don't need those-"

"RUZE!" One of the the Rudinn that stood in attention closest to the Diamond King flinched a bit in surprise but quickly saluted, facing his royalty from above. "If thou would fetch us the Joker and Magician, it would be greatly appreciated."

Ruze, the Rudinn, nodded and slithered his way towards the throne doors to leave. However, just as Ruze's hand gripped the handle, he instinctively shot it back as the double doors creaked open. In came the two: Jevil, the Jester, and Seam, the Court Magician. Jevil turned to glance at Ruze as he passed, an uncomfortably widening smile overtaking his face. _More uncomfortable than he was routinely used to_, Ruze noted. And that almost felt impossible in itself.

"Wait, how did you-"

"No worries, little diamond. Curfew is over! The hands that speak say so! They say so! They say so!" Ruze felt that the stare the wily jester gave him was a little too long, and the gaze a bit too deep. And what was it about hands? But who was he to overreact? It was Jevil after all.

Seam strolled past after his performing companion, nodding to the Rudinn and giving him a wide smile.

"More-than-unusualness aside, seems his judgment was spot on, huh lad?"

Ruze blinked, and then retired to his usual stern look as he made way back to his king's side. "At least I didn't have to waste my time..." All of the kings stood, clapped and cheered merrily...all except the Spade King, who looked on absent-mindlessly and seemingly indifferent to their Duke who stood nearby, Rouxls Kaard, held somewhat of a similar feeling, except with more anxiety-driven fuel behind his emotions towards the little devil. Front and center, the two entertainers took to one knee, awaiting any requests.

The king of Diamonds smiled a big smile to the approaching pair of Darkners, nodding to their arrival. "Performers Seam and Jevil- a most gracious time to arrive indeed. If it is not of much discomfort, which it shouldn't be, would you mine a bit of a...impromptu performance this time around? Surprise us!"

Seam closed his eyes and straightened his magicians hat, smiling wide. But Jevil smiled even wider, practicality ear to ear.

"It would be an honor, my kings, for both of us to-"

A whizzing sound sped past Seam's ears, the unexpected sound causing them to twitch. When the stuffed cat opened his eyes, he gazed at Jevil in confusion, but quickly followed his partner's outstretched arm towards the surprised shriek of a horrified Duke. Just inches away from a shaken Rouxls Kaard was a magical spade lodged in the wall behind him. Confusion quickly changed to anger, as the Spade King arose in a flash of rage.

"WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT!?"

But Jevil did not flinch. His smile never wavered.

"Hehehe! A surprise, surprise! I wanted to start this performance off with the right amount of adrenaline! An audience needs adrenaline, no? It will be a most unexpected performance. A most magical, unexpected performance indeed!"

"Thou is NOT a practice dummy, you...you dummy!"

Seam looked to his company in utter shock. "Jevil, what are you doing?" he whispered harshly.

Although the Spade King kept his defensively feral posture, the rest of them eased, if even just slightly, (save for Roulsxl Kaard of course) back into their thrones. Nervous laughter echoed from the King of Diamonds all across the room.

"Ha ha ha! Y-yes! Most a-appreciated little jester! Now...let's begin with the...real performance, yes?"

Not another second passed before everything was cast into chaos.

Not a few more seconds later, a half-conscious cat magician slumped against the entrance wall, and a struggling Ruze squirming underneath thee iron-like grip of the Court Jester's hands around his neck.

Ruze choked on his own vulgar screams and insults as the pressure tightened, quickly rendering breathing useless. But the Rudinn forced himself to stare the jester dead in the eyes; those yellow pinpricks, despite the adrenaline and unavoidable panic illustrated in the Rudinn's feeble attempts at clawing the strangling hands free. Why? Because he wouldn't die a coward. Not so suddenly. Not like this. Ruze didn't know if it was the coming of unconsciousness, or pure luck, but there was a thin stillness. Beyond the chaos that was to end his life. And he used it without hesitation. Any last amount of fight was used to manifest a diamond shard above Jevil. Small, but still something. As the darkness grew along the Rudinn's eyesight, he brought his hand up, and then swung it down like a hammer. The diamond followed.

Down it went, aimed straight for Jevil head. And swiftly caught between Jevil's free, gloved hand.

"No dice, no dice!" the rouge jester nonchalantly quoted.

Shit. No. He couldn't die a coward. He-

"JEVIL!" The jester spun around in an instant, meeting eyes with a recovering Seam.

"Why, yes?"

Bringing his hands to his knees, the cat magician rose back to his feet with a heavy grunt. The empty abyss inside them held an unmissable emotion.

That of anger.

"Cease this folly at once! This is an absolute criminal violation against the kings and our kingdom! Please..." Seam's anger fell into that of a calmer tone. "...stop your senseless attacking."

Jevil, plain-faced, met eye contact with his partner in a gaze of silence.

"Anything but senseless."

The jester's body was suddenly casted away, a short distance with an unexpected punch to the face, the Rudinn once pinned underneath him, the caster. A small ping of pride glowed in Ruze's little diamond heart, but he knew he had made himself the manic jester's newest interest once more. A split-second of a floating Jevil, and then with Jevilsknife ready, was now rushing straight towards him. Two white, glowing spades interjected him, however, crashing straight into the clown. Jevil was sent crashing down into the ground with a small dust cloud forming around him. Grunting, the Spade King arose from his position and store madly at the jester, who was now on his feet, seemingly unfazed. And with the unchanging grin to top it off.

"Not enough! Not enough!" Jevil cried, several dozen diamond, spade, clubs, and hearts shooting out of the dust cloud and in formation around the four kings, the cowering Duke and the remaining Rudinn guards.

"No time to think, no time to blink!"

Two swings of Jevil's arms, and the bullet pattern firing squad of card symbols came down swiftly, akin to a reign of deadly spears. Screams and more dust. Then silence. More silence. Seam couldn't take it anymore.

"My kings! Are you alright!?" the magician yelled, stumbling forward slightly and awaiting a reply. But instead of a reply, he got movement. The cloud of debris and dust had finally settled and The Spade King stood weakly amongst the other three kings and one Rouxls Kaard, all of them unmoving. He stumbled forward, holding onto what was left of the royal railing and pointing directly at the Magician.

"SEAM," Spade King bellowed. "HE'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! Unless you want you're end to come before mine, you will ASESS the situation AND BRING THE JESTER UNDER CONTROL!"

The words vibrated through Seam's cotton. "Y-you want me to-"

"I DON'T CARE HOW! PUT AN END TO THIS NOW!"

Seam hesitated, then nodded weakly, also noticing the Spade King's eyes shoot off of him.

"Pay attention, he's right in front of you!"

The stuffed cat refocused his vision towards his crazed partner, only to find an ever-joyous Jevil front-and-center with him, face-to-face. They stood locked in what seemed to be a staring contest. Because when Seam finally blinked- "So you're going to be the one, the one?" the jester asked in exhilaration, his arms outstretched in an unnerving glee. Finally coming to terms with how things are, Seam smiled feebly.

"It appears to be the case."

The magician brung and arm to his side, retrieving the sharply-edged, orange sword he planned to use during his performance out of it's scabbard, clenching it tightly in his fist.

"I'm...sorry it has come to his."

The jester continued it's toothy grin, his head cocking to the side. Another moment of quiet.

Jevil extended his arms back as far as they could go and launched them forward; spades, diamonds, hearts, clubs, glowing scythes, more than just a dozen, more than just two dozen, more than just three, all point blank range and straight at Seam's body. The magician's free hand outstretched at the last second, but nothing but a glowing orange expanding light and debris from the broken ground remained within view. A trail of dust and smoke was left in the attack's wake and it stopped at the throne room's wall with a mighty blast, effectively caving the wall in. Everything was cast into obscurity once again.

Ruze had been so fixated on the spectacle that he'd forgotten he was still within range. Playing it smart, he quickly skittered and slithered away from the carnage and climed whatever was left of the stars to the main thrones and stood in front of the Spade King. "Whatever happens next...I'll defend you until the end!" the Rudinn proclaimed, a diamond dagger held high above himself.

A small smirk had grown on Spade King at the remark and reassurance of his allegiance in the face of certain destruction, but the cocky grin had faded not long before and faded not long after still. Spade King knew that his long-appointed court magician was the only one who could stand any chance against this monster of a circus clown...and he hated that. He hated being anything but strong. He hated this prospect so much...and the odds weren't looking so great right off.

"Pull it together, mage...where are you..." Spade King kept eyeing the expanding dust cloud that was fading ever so slowly for the purple cat. Not finding him yet, his temper troubled to keep under control. So did his covered fear. "Seam! You better not be history, or I'll go back in time and take you out myse-"

"No need, no need, my King..."

The sudden voice through the dissipating cloud of dust was clear and collected. And there, in front of the newest hole in the throne room wall, stood the cat magician. Not a rip, not a tear, not a scratch. Just a blank, unmoving expression on Seam's face. His voided, empty eyes unreadable, even to Jevil. But alas, the jester still smiled.

"OOOOH! A trick you've yet to show me fully? Why hide it under all of that fine powder? And how, pray tell, did you pull an escape on one of my most powerful attacks! I was waiting for the perfect moment to show you! At least that I did, that I did! Hehehe...HEHEHE!"

Jevil wasted no time, shoving his gloved hands forth and showering forth another army of glowing white projectiles Seam's way. With only seconds to spare, one paw gripped the sword tightly and the other clutched into a fist and led his arm in front of his face. A fiery wall of flame spiraled into form, covering Seam's entire front. The white projectiles all turned a orange-ish hue as they closed in and melted one by one into nothingness. With the jester's attack finished, the magician dispelled the mall of magic and stood straight.

Jevil stared on, alongside of the remaining conscious Darkners in the room.

"Yeah! Thou kick his clownish behind, Seam! Thou be no ma-"

"Rouxls Kaard. Leave no words for me and Jevil. Encouragement, I need not." Seam interjected, turning back to his long-time friend. "Also, it's not pronounced 'Seem'. It's pronounced 'Shawm'. You should know this by now." the doll added dryly.

A small silence. "...sorry."

The first smile since the chaos had begun was directed towards Jevil.

"Shall we?"

Jevil looked on at the magician's empty eyes. "We shall."

The clown grinned once again. And playful grin it wasn't. "We shall, WE SHALL!"

And then the dance began.

A array of patterns and projectiles whizzed and sped around the throne room, calling the outside spectators for any cover they could find. While Jevil's long-ranged attacks were erratic and random, Seam's were clear and precise. Jevil relied mostly on his ability to teleport and keep himself off the ground whilst Seam favored a more basic and direct form of evasiveness, ducking, weaving and skimming his way through the barrages with cat-like accuracy and grace. A few shards of diamonds, hearts and clubs came to be unbridgeable, so they were disposed of with precisely-aimed swings of his performance sword. In the end, both styles of fighting continuously ended up canceling out each other to utmost perfection.

A few huffs from both opposing opponents, and nothing more. And then Jevil halted his breathing entirely. He weighted his face downwards towards the broken tile floor and closed his eyes. "You've been quite the nuisance, my friend. But I'd expect nothing less from you." His face arose very slowly, a glint of something Seam found unrecognizable in his troubled friend's yellow pupils.

"I will find that I won't be able to convince you of things, they said, they said."

Seam's eyes flashed wide. A chance.

"Who? Who says? Jevil, you were talking of something like this before. Please tell-"

"SO I'LL END YOUR NEEDLESS SUFFERING!"

No time to dodge, no time to cast magic, no time to exclaim. Within half of a single second, a barrage of hundreds of white projectiles came at him, closing the gap within half the time it did in the first major bout. Seam's lifetime of instincts kicked in all at once.

"Damn!"

Just barely stationing his pointed weapon in front of him, the stuffed cat worked on the projectiles just as they arrived, swinging, slicing, wailing, at a speed faster than any other the bystanders could register. Only the constant blur of Seam's orange makeshift sword and and cracking and splitting of the over-bearing amount of spades and diamonds that fared in slicing him to smithereens. It went on for what seemed to be forever. In all of Seam's time with Jevil, he had never witnessed such strength, and a long time it has been. Even during the rare sparing matches where he allowed for dangerous play, just to test the limits of their skill just a bit more. This was a whole different ball game, however. It was all so very...unnatural.

"_Jevil would never do this. He would never! There's something behind all of this...there's gotta be more and I -"_

A strange feeling shot through Seam's face.

The assault had ceased.

All was quiet again, save for the small rumbling of the room that seemed to be ready to give around them. Not even Jevil's breathing could be heard. The slim cat felt weird. Like he hadn't caught up yet with the times. He looked forward at Jevil, but he found only one of his eyes could focus in on him, the other one drawing a blank. Jevil stood with the first bout of remorse since they had begun, the biggest frown he'd ever seen his companion give to him.

Then the times caught up to Seam for him.

An excruciating pain spread throughout the right side of Seam's face. His sword to clattered onto the floor. The magician had let out a loud scowl that echoed throughout the room. He stumbled to one knee and held his face in panic, trying to keep the cotton from pouring out. Another sharp pain in his thigh. Another yelp of affliction and agony. The sudden discomfort caused Seam's footing to give, sending him of his side.

"**AAARGHH! EAHHH!"**

The unfortunate magician squirmed and seethed on the dusty ground, swearing and utter profanities half under his breath, half into the air. Then Seam grew still. For Jevil, it was time that stood still. Spade King, Ruze and the other few Rudinn guards watched without the words to speak. What was to say? That Seam was dead? That Jevil was now fully free to reign terror upon them should he will it? Well, at least the first half was not true...at least for now, as the slight twitching of Seam's body could now easily be noted.

Jevil wordlessly floated forward, eyes narrowed and sparkly. A sudden clarity washed over him as he outstretched a hand. "S-"

A ravenous growl of underrepresented **rage** bellowed from out of Seam's mouth as he lunged. he lunged farther than he even thought was possible of himself at the moment. A ball of fire smashed Jevil square in the face, sending him back a few feet just then as the mage had collided with the jester. the two skidded upon impact with the ground, Seam on top of his once-friend, and wasting no time. He threw a winded punch. Then another. The another. Then one more.** Then another**. His balled up paws launched themselves **uncensored** and **mercilessly** against Jevil's face. One fist after the other. Jevil could have fought back. he could of. But he didn't.

Seam didn't care to notice. The heat of the moment was overbearing his clarity. So he continued further. And then after a few more, he stopped. He remembered.

_**The sword.**_

Almost impervious to the tear in his right eye, Seam maddeningly scrambled both paws to the sword that lay yards away. He stumbled and stumbled until he reached it. Then turning with a weak wobble full of intent, he made his way back, trailing cotton strands as he did so. He dared the jester to move, to fight back. But he didn't.

Falling again on his knees next to Jevil, he raised the performance sword high above his head with a low growl. Cotton puffs fell from the exposed eye hole. He held it there over the jester for a moment, his paws gripping it oh so tighter and threatening to snap the hilt.

_From now on, we're partners! I've decided. You've really impressed me this evening!_

The grip weakens just sightly.

_Truly? Truly, truly? Oh, what a joy! You've no idea how happy I am!_

The grip tightens even more.

_Don't forget, pal. I said I'd have your back. So make sure you've got mine_.

The grip weakens again.

_Sure thing, sure thing! This will be the utmost greatest duo of fools the kingdom has ever set eyes towards! We'll show them all together! That two fools truly can make a sage!"_

The sword loosens.

_Gee, thanks...I guess._

Then it clatters.

Heavy heaving follows.

The spectators above gazed on at the results in shock and disbelief. For a moment, the magician kept his limited gaze on the unmoving jester as his chest rose and fell slowly, a single trail of blood escaping in a line down the clownish performer's mouth. His eyes were not on Seam, however; his continuous sight instead focused on the ceiling.

Out of the growing quiet, a voice protruded, albeit much lighter than intended.  
" Mr. Seam...you did it. I-if thou require assistance in-"

"I've _got_ it." Seam shot back sharply at the Duke, grunting as he attempted to ground himself with his newly acquired leg injury. Slowly doubling around Jevil's unmoving form, he gave a simple request. "Get up."

But no response from the jester. Seam, ignoring the searing pain, lowered himself down and roughly grabbed Jevil by the wrists and pulled him up straight himself, turning him to face away. Creating an orange string of magic akin to a rope, he casted it to tie Jevil's wrists behind him, signifying the final step in his capture. Spade king leaped down from the throne balcony not far away from the magician.

"Good work, Seam! I will have the remaining Rudinn guards accompany you on your way to the cells. You did very fine work today. Soon I will see that answers to this loon's rampancy is given soon." Spade King bellowed in pride. "Finally he can be put into an indefinite imprisonment, the little clown ball..."

"I wish to resign as court magician, Spade King."

The sudden request surprised even the Spade King himself. "What?"

"As payment for stopping the only person that I would ever even consider preforming with, my duties as entertainer are over. I wish to start something new, somewhere else." Seam swung his head slowly to look directly into his king's eyes, showing off the rip in his face. "Is this not payment enough own it's own to satisfy you, my king?" Seam clarified, a slight edge in his voice.

Glaring back evenly, Spade King nodded. "Never found much joy in the service anyhow. You're free to find a place of business elsewhere, but you will always remain loyal to me and the reign. _Understand_, mage?"

With a wide smile, ever counterfeit, Seam turned away with jester in front. "Of course, my most _gracious_ king."

And with that, he limped his way towards the throne room entrance.

Rouxls Kaard straightened and turned towards Spade King. "I shall accompany him. Thou cannot locketh up thine delinquent without thine keys! Even with magic!"

With only a few staying behind, the remaining Rudinn Rangers that were left standing through the battle rallied around the Duke and former court magician, following in as them as they left. The other three kings and injured guards, once unconscious, were brought back to their senses after the Hathys arrived to give their best care to them.

"You," Spade King exclaimed, pointing at a Hathy in the center of all the others. "Follow Seam and the prisoner. The mage needs some attention to those tears of his. Make sure he doesn't fall apart. He's clearly not thinking straight going down to the basement like that."

The head Hathy bowed in understanding and slithered her way out to catch up. Just as the three kings arose in near unison from the ruined tiled floor.

"My! W-what happened!" Diamond King shrieked as he shot up from the ground, clutching his head. "Everything is ruined! W-wait," He spun around in circles, searching for something that wasn't there. "Where's that crazed clown? When I get my hands on em' I'll-"

"Sir!" Ruze pipped up, approaching his king. "The jester is being escorted down to the basement prison by his partner Seam. Seam has been injured, but is expected to be okay...given his requests toward the king at least..."

"Really now?" the Clover king bowed one head, the others closed in thought. "What a day, what a day."

"You said it. My tentacles are still shaking!" King Hathy responded.

"I told you the whole entertainment bunch was a pointless idea." Spade King spat out. He gripped the broken railing (what was still left of it) and gripped it tightly with his gloved hands.

The Clover King tilted his multiple heads in confusion. "But...weren't the performance auditions you're idea, Spade-"

"None of that is important anymore! We have other urgent matters to discuss..." Spade King turned around to face his 3 fellows to the crown. "Recently, I've been thinking...there needs to be...certain changes to how this reign is run. You all are already familiar with our shared quelling towards the Lighteners for abandoning us, no?"

Diamond King was the first to respond. "Well, of course it's been quite a while, but-"

"Quite _AWHILE_?" Spade King sharply intersected.

"Alright, a very long time. I understand. The feeling is mutual, but the methods...need to be considered a bit more. We can't just rush willy-nilly into a full-on war! We don't even have an understanding on _why_ they chosen not to return."

Spade King lowered his head, but not his glare. "And_ how long_ do you all plan on _waiting_ to find out?"

"..."

"..."

"...excuse us, Ruze." The Diamond King gave his subject a little smile. "Could you please re-locate yourself outside of the throne room and guard the door? We have some...deeply concerning thing to discuss. Be the first to notify us of Jevil's successful imprisonment and Rouxls Kaard's return."

Blinking twice, Ruze bowed and backed away. "Yes, my king."

As Ruze slithered carefully down the cracked and battered stairs, across the throne room floor and to the door...he could practically feel the four kings eyeing him as he went, the urgency for the matters at hand and on their minds on his back. Just as he exited and closed the doors firmly shut, the shouting match in the form of muffling behind the door began. Not all was clear, but enough was heard. He slumped himself slightly against the giant door and held his Rudinn dagger firmly in his hands. He almost died today. He legitimately came close to perishing. We would never forget the sickening, foreboding feeling of the growing darkness. The _true_ growing darkness. Of his life slowly snuffing out. But he straightened himself off of the door and eased his breathing.

Because he didn't die a coward. He didn't die at all. He fought back. And that was enough.


End file.
